In this episode Professor Thurman expounds the profound teaching, contained in the fifth chapter of the famous Vimalakirti Sutra, which he translated and has been teaching for nearly forty years. An object of love and inspiration for many lay practitioners, as well as monastics, the Sutra is known for giving an in-depth explanation & analysis of key buddhist concepts, such as emptiness, non-duality, self & non-self, and so on. The 5th chapter relates to Prajnaparamita or Transcendent Wisdom. This episode was recorded on October 8, 2015 in a class taught by Professor Thurman.

This book presents the major teachings of Mahāyāna Buddhism in a precise, dramatic, and even humorous form. For two millennia this Sūtra, called the “jewel of theMahāyāna Sūtras,” has enjoyed immense popularity among Mahāyāna Buddhists …